Volvo YCC concept - by women for women	With gull-wing doors, massive alloy wheels and a sweeping glass fastback roofline, the YCC coupe looks more like a boy-racer toy than previous cars aimed at women such as minivans and Nissan's bug-like Figaro "ladies coupe". But in promoting the car's design, Volvo may run the risk of perpetuating some stereotypes associated with women drivers. For example, the YCC boasts computerised assistance for parallel parking, along with several features aimed at getting shopping bags in and out of the car more easily. "It's got a bumper that goes all the way around so it can take a bit of creative driving," said design team member Anna Rosen. She added that the paint is "as easy to clean as a non-stick frying pan." And for those women who bristle at suggestions they don't know what's going on under the bonnet, well, they can't even have a look. The bonnet does not open because the car's engine needs servicing only once a year - it automatically sends a text message to the garage to book an appointment
But there are design features that men may not have considered: headrests with room for ponytails, a centre console free of a gear shift to make room for handbags, and seat covers that can be quickly and easily removed for washing. More than a year ago, Volvo gave women employees a special project: design the car they would like to drive. The result - a roomy, 160kW coupé - makes a statement about what women want. Simply put, they want more. The workers demanded everything in a car that men want in terms of performance and styling, "plus a lot more that male car buyers have never thought to ask for," said Volvo president and chief executive Hans-Olov Olsson at the Geneva debut. "We learned that if you meet women's expectations, you exceed those for men," he explained. From the outset in December 2002, when Volvo's top executives approved the project, every aspect of the car's design and production has been overseen by women, a first in the automotive industry. The result: a car that's designed to be nearly maintenance free, requiring an oil change only every 50 000km. The vehicle doesn't have a bonnet - the whole front end lift ups for easy access by a mechanic, since the designers didn't envision doing much engine work themselves. You fill up the tank using a roller-ball valve opening, as on many race cars, because it's simpler and less messy than unscrewing a filler cap. The engine is a low-emission, gas-electric hybrid. "You get the power, and you're environmentally OK at the same time," said Tatiana Butovitsch, the project's communications manager.
BACK	Gull-wing doors allow easy access to the space behind the driver's seat and the bottoms of the rear seats fold up like theatre seating, providing more storage space. The car also has dirt-repellant paint and glass. Volvo, a division of Ford, has 28 159 employees worldwide, 20 percent of whom are wo men. Butovitsch said the project team included five women managers and 20 or so other female employees who made all the decisions regarding interior and exterior design. The idea of catering more to women's needs makes perfect business sense, according to Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research in Bandon, Oregon. His research shows that women will either act alone or have a say in roughly 80 percent of all vehicle purchases in the United States this year. Butovitsch said the $3.5 million (approximately R23.25 million) project initially had some skeptics but the resistance ended when it became clear "this was not going to be a pink, cute-looking car but rather a very smart-looking vehicle." Volvo officials say they have no immediate plans to mass-produce the YCC but the company is likely to use some of its features on other vehicles. Mark Fields, head of the Ford's Premier Automotive Group that includes Volvo, said feedback from consumers and industry observers usually determines which features from concepts endure. "Concept cars can be extremely useful," he said. "They can either confirm a huge opportunity or they can help you avoid a huge disaster."